[Brian's stuff]Tools for fools, and why we fall for obvious marketing ploys

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[Brian's stuff]Tools for fools, and why we fall for obvious marketing ploys

Crossover products are in and everyone has tried to capitalize on this trend. When companies like Samsung Electronics opt to put out TVs and cell phones jointly collaborating with fashion guru Giorgio Armani, you know this is a serious business indeed.

LG Electronics did the same, teaming up with Prada to sell its Prada phone years ago. The Japanese carmaker Toyota produced a Lexus model that had a leather interior with the Coach label on it years ago. The trend goes on. Sometimes companies will simply borrow the name of celebrities to put an extra layer of sugar coating on their products.

Motorola did it with its Beckham edition phone. Not that the phone had anything to do with soccer.

It was Beckham holding the phone in a picture that did the trick. Better known for his fashion style than soccer skills (face it, he is a one-dimensional player albeit a good one), for people who admired him they had no problem that the phone didn’t even resemble anything close to a soccer ball.

Then there are products that combine functions. The crossover sport-utility vehicle falls into this category. It’s no longer a simple off-road vehicle but one that combines the function of an off-road and the comforts of a passenger car.

Whoever came up with the idea is a genius. All these products come with the illusive phrase “limited edition,” two little magic words.

The moment people hear the phrase all rational thinking goes out the window. The shopping god has you by the ropes. This is probably worth a scientific study. Somewhere in our brains there is a chemical released that kicks in with the irrational “gotta have it” behavior. These magic words are every marketer’s dream and the concept is quite simple. People who buy a Giorgio Armani suit are not the average Joe on the street. You look at certain income brackets and you find out their consumer patterns.

These people want luxury on every level from invisible underwear to cars. A Gap edition cell phone won’t do the job. A technologically advanced product borrows the name of an entity that is often associated with design.

I for one have never felt the urge to buy any of these cross products because one thing I believe in is to buy products from a maker that specializes in making them. The extra line put into the product’s name does not do it for me. Same TV function but a different price tag for a different face and design? A hot dog is a hot dog, but that’s just me.

So where does that leave the average consumer? Use common sense. What if a company starts to offer chocolate in the mold of molecular cuisine (the art of cooking by using the chemical compositions of food ingredients to get better tasting food) and puts the name of a famous molecular cuisine chef in front of the product?

Subsequently, the chocolate is priced at a premium. Do you still buy it even though you know there are no super ingredients to maintain your youth?

Don’t be the bonehead who is willing to open his wallet for something that essentially is the same but only different in shape and offers only minor tweaks. But if it serves your ego, I guess there is no stopping you. Go ahead! Buy the Porsche-designed nose hair trimmer (if there is one.


By Brian Lee Staff Reporter [africanu@joongang.co.kr]

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